NYT reports that McCain campaign is fanning flames:
On Friday, Senator John McCain’s campaign forwarded to reporters an article in The Wall Street Journal in which Mr. Wright was quoted as saying, “Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run,” ...
Yet, McCain believes that America was founded, including its 3/5th of a man formula for black slaves, on Judeo-Christian principles:
On Sunday night, McCain sought to clarify his remarks while campaigning in Hollis, New Hampshire. "What I do mean to say is the United States of America was founded on the values of Judeo-Christian values, which were translated by our founding fathers which is basically the rights of human dignity and human rights," he said.
"I believe that anyone can be president of the United States of any faith," McCain said, saying he was angry his remarks were misinterpreted but "there's nothing I can do about it."
"I believe that anyone can be president of the United States of any faith," McCain said, saying he was angry his remarks were misinterpreted but "there's nothing I can do about it."
McCain's unqualified -as of yet - Judeo-Christian endorsement of the U.S.:
The "3/5ths rule" in the U.S. Constitution allowed that while slaves could not vote, and in fact according to the Supreme Court could never become citizens, they did count as 3/5ths of a person when it came time to assign Electoral College delegates. The rule was part of a compromise hammered out in 1787 in the Constitutional Convention. Without the rule, slave owners like Thomas Jefferson would not have been elected. With it, Southerners managed to hold the presidency for 50 of 62 years between George Washington's election and 1850.
-The Dred Scott Decision of 1857, reaffirming the principles of property, a-hem!
-The Dred Scott Decision of 1857, reaffirming the principles of property, a-hem!
So, are FOX's Hannity and Ari Fleischer ready to have that discussion? (You know they are - they'll follow Medved, most likely, with an analysis that slavery was a small percentage that ended relatively quickly and America was no worse than any others, etc. Awww, how sweet. When America isn't beautiful, at least it isn't relatively unattractive. I feel so much prouder of our slave-owning past already, don't you?)
Anyone think that McCain is interested in "debate" or quite willing to go along with whatever common prejudices will suit his purpose? (I can write the speech now, "His social principles extend no further than the common prejudices that he leaves unchallenged in keeping with a true political cowardice that he seeks to exploit and ride into the highest office of the land. He cannot unite the country. As with Bush before him, he promises only only to take it to war.")
McCain's distortions about Romney in Florida are clear indications that "uncle John" is no way to think about him as a politician, right? He's disarming, but he's pretty low-brow when it suits him, frankly.
